GamersVue

Interplay resurrection report: new website

 
Well, calling it a “website” might be a bit of a stretch. It’s more of a digital poster really. Still, it looks like the rebirth of Interplay is officially underway. Fastidious X3F readers will recall that the company submitted an SEC filing late last year that detailed plans to return to the video game development business, largely in thanks to the profits made in the sale of the
Fallout IP to Bethesda. Said plans included the revival of several of Interplay’s well-known franchises including Earthworm Jim, MDK, and Baldur’s Gate. It seems that Interplay is moving forward with its plans, as the new website will attest. Consisting solely of the image seen on Interplay.com   Clearly it references all three of the franchises mentioned above as well as Fallout (most likely the MMO Interplay has been talking about since 2006). Let’s hope we see some details sooner rather than later.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

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Update:  04/09/07

[Interplay] now has officially surfaced: Interplay is building up a development team, and looking to begin a Fallout MMO.

The beleaguered publisher was delisted from the NASDAQ and pretty much closed down in 2004. Its famous internal studio Black Isle was packed up, members going on to work at studios like Obsidian and Troika. The publisher, however, retained its name and intellectual property, inluding Fallout, Earthworm Jim, MDK and Descent / Freespace.

In 2007, the Fallout property was flogged to Bethesda (who are now working on Fallout 3) for just under $6 million. Importantly, though, Interplay retained the rights to develop an MMO based on the Fallout universe.

With cash in pocket, the publisher is now recruiting for its new internal development team, and looking for financing for its two pronged development plan - the Fallout MMO and the reinvigoration of other, smaller IPs.

There’s a long road ahead for Interplay. Its strength as a publisher was always the pull of its development teams, so with Black Isle, Volition, Bioware and Shiny all either dissolved or otherwise engaged, starting from scratch could be a tall order.

Still, a new team and fantastic IP can’t be a bad start.

[Via GameShadow]

Yep, sorry folks.  The PC version of Mass Effect has been delayed until May 28th of 08.

Well this story is making it’s rounds about the NET.    To Quote NME.com

Charlie Daniels, writer of the song ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’, has slammed the makers of ‘Guitar Hero III’ after the song was used in the game.

He has publicly stated that he would have refused permission for the song to be used if he had the power, claiming that the “very essence” of the song had been “violated”.

Daniels, who wrote the song in 1979 while a member of The Charlie Daniels Band, lost the rights to the song in a past settlement.

He explained on his blog: “The song, ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’, which I wrote, is supposed to be a lighthearted novelty about a fiddling contest between a country boy and the devil and the devil always loses.

“I would never grant permission for some company to create a video game version of a song I wrote in which the devil wins a contest.”

Expressing his upset at the devil character who challenges players in
the game, he added: “I’m sorely disappointed with the company who owns the copyright for not policing the situation. As it is they have allowed these people to violate the very essence of the song.

“At this time I don’t know if I have any legal recourse, probably not, but I wanted you folks to know that I vehemently disagree with what has been done to a piece of my work.

“And I would like to pass along a little advice to parents of young children. This game looks innocent enough but if you have a child who is playing it, take the time to sit with him or her while they’re playing along and take a serious look at the images on the screen.”

‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’ was Daniels’ biggest hit, charting at Number Three in the US singles chart.

It has since been covered by the likes of Primus, The Levellers and Jerry Reed, and Rednex.

The song has had an impact outside of the world of music, too, with comedian Jim Davidson performing it as part of a comedy tour in 2002 and WWE wrestler The Rock singing it on US TV in 2003.

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My Vue?   Even though I know it really doesn’t mean anything, but so what?  I mean really.. He doesn’t even own the song.  What this sounds like to ‘The PogoWolf’ is that Daniels is using the media of GH3 in order to say ‘Hey!!  I’m still alive and making music!’  along with a publicist saying ‘You don’t want to be blamed if some Kid finds out how to out play Satan, you better say something now’   and why are you talking about it NOW?  It was released in the US in October of ‘07  It’s now April of ‘08.  6 months to figure out about the song!?  LOL  Beyond that the the ‘devil’ really isn’t ‘Satan’, in a personification of your ‘evil’ manager.   Bah.. total fluff news.. but as you all can see, I’ve been a slacker for a few days.